junnyjake:
It started when I asked myself why I was a Christian and the only answer I could come up with was born into a Christian home and nothing more.

Then came a seminarian who lectured me on the history of the church, this only increased my scepticism to a significant level. I didn't stop there, I questioned everything I accepted to be true and I wasn't getting satisfactory answers from those I've always looked forward to.

On further studies, I began to see the similarities between religions that pre-dated Christianity and how the culture of its practitioners at different times in history influence it, and how it's then used to manipulate people in numerous ways.

I then realized that what's kept me this long in Christianity is nothing but "Guilt" for something I know nothing about and also the fear of "Hell". Once I got rid of them, I found peace deep inside me. The only thing that unsettles me these days is having to listen to some of these preachers disrespect my intellect with their non-sensical gibberish.

CAPSLOCKED, Hahn, Hopefullandlord, Martinez19 come share your experiences with us.

Professorcplus:
I already over worked my brain but I'll keep it short. It happens when I noticed even some close relative (pastors and prophetesses) use the name of God to Lay claims and false prophesy that is obvious. It takes a bold mind come out of shackles of religion. The fear of hell and false prophesy is why some are being dogma to their prophet

hahn:


Basically the same thing for me and I guess for most people. Nothing much to it.

Now religion is safely in the bin

junnyjake:
In this part of the world where religion (especially the foreign ones) controls our outlook on life and how we relate to the world, it's somewhat an anomaly when one takes a bold step to dissociate himself from the religion practiced by their families and the society they were born into.

Despite the deriding and sometimes in more severe cases - ostracization from a social group - you still hooked onto your dis-beliefs and had to stay true to yourself. There're strong enough reasons informing on your decision, I'm interested in hearing them. Mine would be in the comment section below.

At young age we pray for wisdom and knowledge but at times I wonder if having too much knowledge is a curse Imagine a society where people's judgement and thinking is based on their belief. I just have to ostracize myself from people that still hold Strong belief in superstition right from teen age.

The major issue with this superstitious beliefs is that it's harmful, toxic, misinformation even insult to human intelligence. I even get annoyed when I see how these pastors, preacher, priest invented some rediculous story to stray away victims. Nollywood and Zion films portray this belief in a visual form and only take a strong mind break away from it. Minds of children and Lady that aren't develop enough to debunk any false belief becomes a prisoner to it.

I have seen family scattered because of false prophecy both partner received. I have seen close neighbour who refused medical care died of illness because of false belief. I have witnessedMOG have slept with innocent ladies because of problems of birth conceive, even seen a close relative that becomes prophet because there's money involved.

It is more dangerous when people do wield things because of belief. Ritual killing, buying pure water for 5k, adding church sand to bathing water, hitting your head against wall, touching pastors handkerchief for money.

If religion is to make humans a better being on earth, then Why all these attrocities happen among God's people. These are questions I asked within me but know one around me gives me satisfactory answer. I will do my best to help the society the best way I can. Indoctrination is a strong weapon for promoting religion.

junnyjake:


Hehehe.

If anyone ever told me I'd bin religion 4 years ago, I'd tell them "get thee behind me satan".

It feels great to be truly free.

LordReed:


Yep, you get to understand what liberty is and how as an adult responsibility is squarely on you. Freedom is bittersweet.

My journey was long in the making but came to a head when I asked myself can all these things you know about god stand on their own without you defending them? In other words if you were not a believer and someone presented this to you, would you accept it as true? The entire thing crumbled as I realised that I couldn't do any of these things. To continue to believe in god, I had to continue to defend what I could see had no bearing in reality or I have to convince myself that these things are true contrary to evidence stating me in the face. That realisation put paid to faith and made me face up to reality. I am honestly much more relaxed, at peace and [code]content[/code. then I ever was as a Christian.

Asking me to be a Christian again is as good as me taking a look at the prison cell I just left and asking me to go back inside of my own volition. No way José, ain't gonna happen. If a god exists, then he/she/it must have a different way of reaching out to me cos it is not through religion.

Dantedasz:
I was born into a Christian home. My parents were staunch Methodists.They say Methodism was born in songs,so I knew and loved all the songs and hymns.I was taught the bible from a little age by my mother. I had my coloured book of Bible stories. I attended church regularly and by the time I was sixteen I set out to read the bible from Genesis to Revelation.
I found myself questioning so many of the stories in the bible and the glaring contradictions. First of all I asked my mother and of course she had no answers but tried to give the answers she felt were right.
I asked my school teachers and they couldn't give me the answers I desired. I asked pastors,the result was the same. No answers. Over the years I read the bible from cover to cover a couple of more times and the doubts still persisted.
I got married and had children. I brought my family up in the Christian way but the doubts persisted in my mind.
I guess I was so afraid of the threat of hell fire that I could not break free from the chains of religion that bound me down.
Then came the internet and availability of information in the click of a button. I realised I was not alone in my doubts about religion. I browsed a lot of websites and realised I had been programmed from birth to live a lie. The shackles fell off and I was finally free. Free from fear of everlasting punishment in hell fire. Free from dogma and contradiction.
I love my life and I can never go back.
As for my family I don't force any one to toe my line. The choice is open to them to choose if they want to go with religion or not.

karo93:
Religion may not always be logical but if u have experienced supernatural things you will be unable to deny the existence of unseen powers.

Many people hold onto religion despite its conflicts with logic because they have experienced the supernatural.... you can deny and reject what you are told....but you cant deny an experience.

The discussion of how rational and logical God is opens a whole new discourse that can never be concluded. The discussion of who exactly is the way to God from Buddhism to hinduism to islam to christianity is a discussion that goes on forever.

But there is a supernatural world and anyone that has experienced it can no longer be an atheist......just a person wondering what the supreme being is really up to

NB: I know that many people hold onto religion without any experience with supernatural things. These are the people that later on drop religion or keep trying to rationalise why God exists and i dont think its their fault.

junnyjake:


Revealing. Fear was a very effective tool used to ground most of us. And to think that he'll only started existing in the scriptures just a hundred years ago just makes it even more interesting.

karo93:
Religion may not always be logical but if u have experienced supernatural things you will be unable to deny the existence of unseen powers.

Many people hold onto religion despite its conflicts with logic because they have experienced the supernatural.... you can deny and reject what you are told....but you cant deny an experience.

The discussion of how rational and logical God is opens a whole new discourse that can never be concluded. The discussion of who exactly is the way to God from Buddhism to hinduism to islam to christianity is a discussion that goes on forever.

But there is a supernatural world and anyone that has experienced it can no longer be an atheist......just a person wondering what the supreme being is really up to

NB: I know that many people hold onto religion without any experience with supernatural things. These are the people that later on drop religion or keep trying to rationalise why God exists and i dont think its their fault.

OtemAtum:


Seeing the spiritual realm shouldn't even make someone become religious. It should rather push one away from it. That's the case with me.

HellVictorinho:
Both spirituality and religion don tire me.
There are no Gods..
There is no gain.
Case closed

OtemAtum:


Seeing the spiritual realm shouldn't even make someone become religious. It should rather push one away from it. That's the case with me.

karo93:


Atheism in its pure form is a disbelief in the existence of a supreme being, supernatural deities ranging as far a disbelief in the supernatural.

Religion is the belief in a supernatural power and worship of that power


Seeing and experiencing a supernatural power will push a person to religion in a bid to gain something extra from that power that includes money health protection and where applicable protection in the world after death.

The only reason a person would access the supernatural and loose interest in religion is if the supernatural being claims not to offer any extra benefits or if the available religions are unable to connect you to that deity.


Those that have crossed the threshold of atheism by experiencing the supernatural keep trying to hold onto supernatural beings........and das wat religion is all about

OtemAtum:
Religion is pseudo spirituality, a tool for mind control. People who invent religion are those privileged to see a glimpse of the spiritual and then come up with ways to control human minds. In my own case, I saw the spiritual and came out with a history book to liberate minds of humanities from mind slavery. That's what spirituality should be all about. Religion is just a false spirituality. That's why we have thousands of religions in the world today, professing different things.

Jokerman:
Clowns....

Christianity isn't a religion

karo93:


Atheism in its pure form is a disbelief in the existence of a supreme being, supernatural deities ranging as far a disbelief in the supernatural.

karo93:


In its cruelest form; yes, that's religion......but in its pure form its just about connecting with the supernatural...

The problem with religion is that it gives too much power and authority to a few men....And these men eventually trample on their fellow men using religion as a tool for oppression and all sort of selfish gains

Religions may profess different things because they are connecting with different spirit beings or because the original individuals that connected the spirit beings distorted the message either deliberately or by the human weakness, culture and level of understanding

HellVictorinho:

Spirit beings don't exist.
There are tools used by ritualists and occultists for self-transformation and the performance of ritualistic and occultic stuff.
Connection with spirit beings is pure nonsense.
It's just like a smoker saying he has seen Jesus after taking cocaine+weed.

LordReed:


Wrong. There are atheists that believe in the supernatural. There are religious atheists.

karo93:


Religious atheism means working my moral and good living codes but rejecting the supernatural aspects of it e.g christian atheists who build their code around the life of the man jesus but reject everything supernatural about him.

If you have any other definition pls state it with your source.